The Visiting School Mittelmeerland, a program of AA School of Architecture London, is seeking architecture students and young professionals who would like to participate in a 10-day architectural research workshop in Beirut, Lebanon, from April 11 –21. Mittelmeerland will investigate the future of the Mediterranean and research six different cities over three years. In this workshop participants will study how Beirut’s coastline will change in relation to the Mediterranean; what the driving forces behind its reconstruction are; and what changes are needed for a city of many cultures in need of modernization. The deadline to apply is March 28, 2012.

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Today is National Sweater Day! Are you wearing your sweater to keep warm instead of turning up the heat? If not, head over to the WWF’s call center to give yourself or a friend a call from a sweet old grannie to remind you to turn down your heat and pop on a few layers.

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If you know someone who’s about to welcome a new bundle of joy – or maybe you are yourself – don’t miss a chance to win this amazing prize package for expectant parents (worth $109). We’re giving away this incredible package (appropriately called the Mother Lode) to celebrate the release of “More Business of Being Born,” the follow-up DVD to Ricki Lake’s popular “Business of Being Born,” which explored the different options women have for giving birth. The new DVD takes a closer look at doulas, midwives, birthing options and VBACs and you’ll hear celebrity birth stories from Gisele Bundchen, Alanis Morisette, Cindy Crawford, Melissa Joan Hart and more. The lucky prize package winner will receive The Business of Being Born, More Business of Being Born, an organic cotton onesie, Your Best Birth signed by Lake, and the National Guide to a Healthy Birth, so click here to find out how easy it is to enter for your chance to win!

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Global accounting firm KPMG recently moved into its new headquarters in Frederiksberg, Denmark. Designed by talented Copenhagen firm 3XN, the building's form and sustainability strategies work to minimize energy use and maximize the power of the sun resulting in an energy balance close to zero. The office building completes an active area of town and is situated directly adjacent to a metro station. In addition, 3XN's design features a series of discreet meeting rooms to provide a high level of privacy for their clients.

 

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LEGO blocks are one of the most enduringly popular toys around. With endless possibilities for reinvention, they challenge minds and cultivate creativity. But as much as we love these colorful little blocks, we have to say that it wouldn’t hurt if they were also a little more eco-friendly. But here comes a sustainable take on the classic block from Japanese firm Colors Tokyo. Fashioned from environmentally friendly materials, the company’s Earth Blocks are an exciting prospect for educating kids on green building.

 

 

This Valentine's Day, show your loved ones how "fortunate" you are to have them by making them a batch of scrumptious homemade fortune cookies! You can write personalized predictions and sweet nothings on strips of recycled paper and tuck them right into each cookie for a sweet surprise. Read on to see the full DIY - there are only a few ingredients so you can whip these up in a snap!

 

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Acura has officially introduced its latest model, the 2013 Acura ILX compact sedan. The ILX is based on the Honda Civic and is being positioned as a gateway into the Acura brand. The ILX will be available with three different powertrains, but the most noteworthy is the hybrid option, as it marks the introduction of Acura’s first ever hybrid model.

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Recent data suggests that we send more than 14 million cars to the scrap yard each year, so it’s refreshing to see some of those abandoned automobiles put to good use in sustainable, eco-friendly style. Leger Wanaselja Architecture’s fabulously ambitious McGee House does just that. The curvaceous upper walls of the 2 bedroom home are fashioned from over 100 salvaged car roofs, while the roofs of the home are constructed from sawn apart gray-colored cars. The bright and airy awning you see? It’s made entirely from the side windows of Dodge Caravans, once “America’s best-selling minivan,” now prevalent in scrap heaps.

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Global commercial shipping is a crucial part the world’s transportation infrastructure – ships carry everything from high-tech electronic machinery to basic foodstuffs. Unfortunately, commercial shipping also accounts for more than 3 percent of all annual global emissions. According to a new report released today, global shipping also has another unseen effect – it alters the behaviour of the world’s whale population and affects them physically. A team from the New England Aquarium found that during the reduction in shipping traffic after 9/11, sound pollution also dropped – and for the first time they were able to study the effect of shipping noise on cetaceans.

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It takes a lot of energy to launch a spacecraft into orbit – the Space Shuttle, for example, used over one million pounds of solid propellant to power its rocket boosters. As you can imagine, over the last 28 years of shuttle service it has been responsible for over 42,000 tonnes of pollutants in the atmosphere. However we still need rockets to get supplies and astronauts to and from the International Space Station. This, as well as the growth of the space tourism industry, has seen NASA lay down a challenge for US engineering firms to design and build ‘space taxis‘ able to take at least four people into space.

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Described as a publication for those enthralled by the natural world, Wilder Quarterly is a visually-stimulating new magazine aimed at modern day growers and gardeners. The Brooklyn-based print publication features everything from local farmers and foodies to architects and amateur urban gardeners. Inhabitat recently shared a few of Wilder’s stories from the Winter 2012 issue, and Wilder generously created a special discount code for Inhabitat readers to enjoy 15 percent off of a single issue or a subscription.

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When the world’s largest retailer says it is doing something to make people healthier, we listen. Walmart announced this week that they are reducing fat, sugar and sodium in their private-label foods, and will start marketing other healthy food items in April with their new “Great for You” icon. Walmart is already the largest seller of organic produce in the United States, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the big blue retailers green initiatives. Though they aren’t all green, they are doing a lot to bring affordable, healthy food and eco-education to the masses and for that we say, bravo.

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If you’ve ever wanted to get more involved with the good humanitarian work of Architecture For Humanity, there’s an even better chance to volunteer now through your local chapters. The American Institute of Architects and Architecture For Humanity have announced a major strategic partnership that will expand the industry’s commitment to disaster assistance and long-term reconstruction. While the two organizations’ missions are different, they have recognized their complementary skills and the new collaboration will provide architects a way to use those strengths in their local community. We couldn’t be more thrilled that these two organizations are teaming up and providing more options for volunteering.

A finalist at the Green Furniture Awards 2012, the ‘A-Board’ by Argentine-born Italy-based Tomas Schön’s is a bookshelf that consists simply of an eco-labeled plywood board and one strong orange ribbon. Using an innovative way to bend wood with the use of a laser cutter, this flat-pack, no-glue, no-screw shelving unit transforms from a single sheet into a shelf with just the pull of its ribbon. Exhibited at this year’s Stockholm Furniture Fair, this elegant piece of design is self-supporting and will rest elegantly against any wall.

Via Furnifurnish